


Support

by randomwriter57



Series: Reigisa Week 2015 [5]
Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, Reigisa Week, conversations on the way home from school
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-22
Updated: 2015-01-22
Packaged: 2018-03-08 15:45:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3214661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/randomwriter57/pseuds/randomwriter57
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rei and Nagisa walk home and talk about captains.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Support

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Reigisa Week #2, Day 5. Prompt = 3rd Years/Captains.  
> This one is set just after they're told who the new captain is. I wrote it while listening to [this mix](http://randomactuallywrites-57.tumblr.com/post/108838594281/a-mix-of-great-nostalgia-from-the-ever-blue) I made of a Free! song and some nature sounds.

It was mostly quiet as Nagisa and Rei walked home from practice on one autumn evening. The leaves which rustled above their heads would surely turn bright shades of orange and red come October. For now, however, they remained in a limbo between green and yellow, signalling that their eternal summer was almost over for another year. Like the leaves, the sky changed its colours as they walked, melting from a breezy blue into warm pinks and purples. Nagisa couldn’t help but smile at the sunset he was lucky enough to see at this time every day in summer as he walked alongside his best friend, cherishing each other’s company.

Today, there was only one thing on his mind, but at least it was something he could smile about. “Aah, I can’t believe Haru-chan and Mako-chan retired from the swim club today.”

“It was inevitable,” Rei said, although the way he spoke the words made it sound as though it he wished it wasn’t that way. “After all, the season has finished, and we’ve already got new members.”

Nagisa hummed in agreement. “Yeah, and Haru-chan’s still going to be at the club most of the time anyways, since he needs to keep in shape for when he goes to university.”

“Yes, exactly. Although it’s a shame that Makoto-senpai won’t be able to visit and help out quite so often.”

“He’ll still come sometimes, though!” Nagisa said, keeping a positive attitude. “After all, he needs to hand down his captain-ly experience, right?”

“We can’t just use him like that!” Rei said indignantly, but smiled a moment later. “But yes, I’m sure we’ll definitely appreciate it.”

Nagisa smiled softly at Rei, knowing what Rei was thinking about. When the younger boy was told he had been chosen to be the new captain, he could hardly believe it - Nagisa recalled the absolute shock that had crossed his face, how he had looked to Nagisa with wide eyes, then to Kou, then back to their upperclassmen. His mouth had been agape but he promptly closed it, bowing to Makoto and Haruka in appreciation and formally thanking them. Only a few seconds later, when he stood upright again, could Nagisa see the tears in his eyes and realise for the second time how much this meant for Rei. For the past year, he had always been behind, being unable to swim anything but the butterfly, but ever since joining the club, perhaps even since missing out on swimming at regionals last year, Rei had exceeded himself in the effort he put into swimming and trying to learn the other strokes - and Nagisa had to hand it to Rin, he did well in teaching Rei the other strokes. That was half of the reason why Rei had been chosen as the new captain - not because he could now swim all the strokes, but because of how much effort he had put into learning how to swim and doing his best to contribute to the team.

Makoto and Haruka had had the same thoughts as him when deciding who should be captain. They had a meeting one night at Haruka’s house - not telling Rei, of course - where Makoto and Haruka explained their choice, and Nagisa thoroughly agreed. He knew Rei was better fit to be a captain than he was, just by seeing how dedicated Rei was to the club. He could see it in his imagination, how Rei would react, how grateful he would be. He wanted nothing more than to see that face.

“Say, Nagisa-kun?” Rei interrupted his thoughts.

Nagisa turned his head to face Rei again. “Yeah, Rei-chan?”

Rei was no longer smiling, and his eyebrows were knitted together in worry. “Are you not annoyed?”

Nagisa raised an eyebrow, startled by the question. He almost felt the urge to laugh. “Annoyed? What would I be annoyed for?”

Rei’s eyes turned to the side, and he murmured his answer in a voice so quiet Nagisa had to lean closer to hear it properly. “Because I’m the new captain and you’re not.”

After a few seconds of processing time, Nagisa’s other eyebrow joined the first, as though trying to hide in the curls of his fringe. Another few seconds passed in which the two of them managed to stop walking before Nagisa burst into a fit of giggles, unable to contain his amusement and disbelief.

Rei became startled, then annoyed. “H-hey, don’t laugh-”

“Rei-chan,” Nagisa breathed, letting his laughter die down before grinning at his friend. “Of course I’m not annoyed!”

Rei blinked, letting the words wash over him, then said in a very educated way, “Huh?”

“You’re so dedicated and you work so hard, Rei-chan,” Nagisa said, his voice less amused and more honest now. “I honestly couldn’t think of a better captain than you.”

Pale cheeks flushed a light pink, and Rei pushed up his glasses nervously, looking away again. “I-I, I just-” He stopped, unable to come up with a good answer.

So Nagisa continued. “Besides, I want to focus on my studies again next year, so I can stay in the swim club and so I can get into the university I want to go to. I wouldn’t be able to balance captain duties on top of that.”

Rei nodded, understanding. “Yes, that makes sense. But will you be okay with being vice-captain, then?”

Nagisa chuckled, then chided his friend. “Rei-chan, did you not know? Vice-captain is just an empty title with no actual responsibilities, so I’ll be fine!” He laughed as Rei deadpanned, obviously not impressed by his friend’s reply. After the laughter had died down and they started walking again, he spoke once more, this time in a softer tone. “You know I’ll always be here to support you, right, Rei-chan?” He kept looking at the road ahead of him, but he could feel Rei’s gaze settle on him, could hear Rei’s footsteps stop. He froze, worried that he had said something wrong. “Rei-chan?”

When he turned to look, he saw the opposite of what he expected; Rei smiled at him, tears welling up in his eyes again, which almost worried Nagisa until Rei spoke in a similar tone. “Thank you, Nagisa-kun.”

The gentleness of his lilac eyes merging with the clarity of those happy tears made Nagisa’s heart stop for a second - not in a bad way, though. Once he realised what was happening, Nagisa’s face split into a beam, feeling as though his entire being was shining like the sun.

(Little did he know, that’s what Rei was comparing him to mentally.

Because all Rei could think was,

_‘That boy really is beautiful.’_

And he couldn’t be happier to have him by his side.

Supporting him.

Always.)


End file.
